The Mysterious Disappearance of the "Cryptoqueen"
Dr. Ruja Ignatova, a Bulgarian-born entrepreneur, garnered international attention with her cryptocurrency venture, OneCoin, launched in 2014. Promising massive returns similar to early Bitcoin investments, OneCoin attracted millions globally. However, the venture turned out to be a sophisticated fraud, swindling investors out of $4.5 billion.
Ignatova, who had a background in finance with an Oxford degree, vanished in October 2017 after taking a flight from Sofia, Bulgaria to Athens, Greece. As authorities in Germany and the US moved closer to arresting her, she disappeared, leaving investigators stumped.
Recent investigations by BBC Eye Investigations and Panorama uncover connections between Ignatova and Hristoforos "Taki" Amanatidis, a notable figure in Bulgaria's organized crime scene. Taki, reputedly one of Bulgaria's most influential drug traffickers, was allegedly hired to protect Ignatova. However, reports suggest that he might have turned against her. Leaked Europol documents and statements from US government lawyers indicate that Taki had ties with OneCoin and might have used its financial network for laundering drug money.
In a 2022 report obtained by Bulgarian journalist Dimitar Stoyanov, a police informant claimed Ignatova was murdered on Taki's orders in late 2018, with her body disposed of in the Ionian Sea. This is yet unverified but corroborated by several criminal associates of Taki.
Ignatova's properties in Bulgaria are now reportedly used by individuals linked to Taki. Since her disappearance, her brother Konstantin Ignatov and co-founder Sebastian Greenwood have been arrested and convicted for their roles in the OneCoin scam.
Ignatova was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list in 2022, and despite various theories and sightings, her exact fate remains unknown. BBC’s ongoing investigation provides a glimpse into the dangerous intersection of high finance and organized crime, leaving many questions about the true fate of the "Cryptoqueen."